TUDOR Grange Leisure Centre is set to be greener after 390 rooftop solar panels have been installed.
The 174.6KWp solar photovoltaic (PV) array is set to cut carbon emissions by up to 30 tonnes annually while reducing the leisure centre’s electricity bills by as much as £28,000 per year.
The installation has been funded by Sport England’s Swimming Pool Support Fund (SPSF).
The panels are expected to supply 21 per cent of the leisure centre’s annual electricity needs, with 90 per cent of the zero-carbon electricity produced being used on-site.
Surplus energy generated during peak times will be exported to Solihull’s nearby energy centre, which is currently under construction in Tudor Grange Park.
The exported electricity will be used to run powerful air source heat pumps at the energy centre and distributed to other local buildings via the new energy network.
Solihull’s wider low-carbon energy network project will provide heating, hot water, and electricity to multiple town-centre buildings, reducing fuel bills and futureproofing against changing energy needs.
This Council project is being delivered by Vital Energi who will design, build, operate and maintain the new network. Vital Energi is a leading national player in the heat network and low carbon energy sector and has delivered a range of networks including Leeds PIPES and Mersey Heat.
Councillor Andy Mackiewicz, cabinet member for Climate Change and Planning, said: “Rooftop solar PV installation is a fantastic way to help decarbonise individual buildings making efficient use of often underutilised space.
“The beauty of this installation is that not only can the power generated help reduce the running cost of the leisure centre, while cutting emissions. But where surplus energy is produced, rather than go to waste, it can be fed into the nearby energy centre and shared across our new network.”
Jacob Harley-Beckett, general manager at Tudor Grange Leisure Centre, said: “This upgrade is a crucial step towards a greener future, helping Tudor Grange Leisure Centre and the Council reduce our carbon footprint.
“The solar panels are already making a real difference to our energy costs”
Lisa Dodd-Mayne, executive director – place at Sport England, said: “Swimming pools and leisure centres are vital for promoting physical activity in communities.
“Sport England is proud to support this project through the Government’s Swimming Pool Support Fund, enhancing energy efficiency and sustainability to ensure these facilities remain accessible for future generations.”
Work for the new energy network are in full swing, with pipework being laid through Tudor Grange Park and along Homer Road.
Work is also progressing at pace at the all-important energy centre where the building’s steel framework is taking shape.
Solihull Council say first phase customers could be hooked up and start benefitting from the network as early as next year.
